learn the basic differences between tapes and get ideas for using tape in unique ways to solve everyday problems

Tape 101 What's the Difference?Doing a job right means starting out with the proper tools. Each one of Scotch Brand Tapes is designed to address a particular range of applications. Don't let the wrong tape keep your project from turning out perfect.

Clear Tapes: are general purpose tapes great for crafting, mending and light mounting. They're easy to cut and peel off the roll smoothly.

Decorative Tape: is the perfect way to personalize any project. It comes in over 200 colors and patterns in 9 tape types so you can use it for any project.

Moving and Storage Tape: is created to maintain strength over time, ideal for packages that are going to stay put for a while.

Get Organized with Washi Tape

With so many colors and patterns to choose from, washi tape makes it easy to distinguish between items at a glance. You can use it to differentiate electrical cords, keep glasses separate at a party, keep a calendar in order or label containers. To take your organizing to the next level you can even write on it in pen or pencil.

Fix a Frayed Shoelace

If you need to replace an aglet, the plastic or metallic tube at the end of your shoelace, look no further than Scotch MultiTask Tape. Simply wrap the tape around the frayed part to form a replacement cylinder. You can also use washi or decorative duct tape to personalize your shoelaces and add a pop of color.

Clean Your Keyboard

There is no need for compressed air to clean your keyboard, simply slide a strip of Scotch Magic Tape through the rows of keys to pick up dist and debris.

Arranging Flowers with Scotch Magic Tape

Make sure your vases work harder with Scotch Magic Tape. Using strips of the same length, make an evenly spaced grid across the top of a vase (although the one in the photo is square, a round vase will work just as well).

Then, simply stick your flowers in the empty squares between the tape. This will ensure your arrangement will stand up straight without having to crowd flowers together or loading it with filler.

1. Deodorizer – Use coffee in the back of the fridge for odor control. Place clean, unused coffee grounds in an open bowl or cup at the back of the refrigerator to eliminate foul smells. They can be used in the freezer, as well. You can even make closet sachets with coffee. Take cheesecloth or other breathable materials and wrap a small amount of coffee grounds and hang in the back of the closet. Cheesecloth wrapped coffee can also do wonders in the bottom of your diaper pail.

2. Use as an exfoliator - Add clean coffee grounds to a body wash. Massage into skin and rinse. It’s a great remover of dry skin. You can also use them for a great facial. Mix a few tablespoons of grounds with enough water to make a paste. Pat it on skin and let stand for a few minutes and then massage in circles. Rinse thoroughly.

3. A natural bug repellant – Several insects including ants are sensitive to strong smells. Sprinkle fresh grounds around plant beds or any other areas where you would like to keep out pests.

4. Deter Animals – It is also a good way to discourage cats from using your yard as a litter box. Take the grounds and mix with the rind of a citrus fruit to create a pungent odor that turns the local kitties away.

5. Touch up furniture scratches - No need to buy an expensive Minwax pen when you have coffee. Make a paste with a little bit of instant coffee and hot water. Rub it into the scratch. Repeat if necessary until the scratch matches the surrounding wood.

Here’s how to use Used Coffee Grounds

6. Fight Cellulite – Warmed, used grounds mixed with coconut oil are said to help fight cellulite. If Halle Berry does it, so can you! The caffeine is the active ingredient. Rub it into skin in massaging circles. If it doesn’t stop the cellulite, you should at least have soft skin after.

7. Lustrous Hair – Want shiny hair? Coffee grounds have long been known for a great hair gloss. After shampooing, rub warm grounds into hair. Let stand until cool and then rinse. If you have dark hair, this can give a color boost. If you have very light hair, be careful. Keep the coffee weak and don’t leave the rinse in too long. It can stain hair.

8. Composting – The rich minerals left behind in the grounds helps the degradation process. Mix with lye to further the breakdown and worms really like the grounds so it is a multi-faceted support to composting.

9. Fertilizer – Whether you compost or not, those same minerals including nitrogen and potassium make a great fertilizer and enrich the soil. This also works with indoor plants.

10. Household scrub – Use coffee grounds to cleans pans or baked on grime on a stove top. They are mildly abrasive and great for cleaning grime. Mix in with your current creamy cleaner or use on their own.

​No costume ideas yet? No big deal, check out some tips and ideas for creating a great Halloween costume using Post-it® Products.The best Halloween costume ideas always seem to pop into your head after Halloween is already over. This year, instead of having an “Oh, I should’ve done that” moment, start planning your Halloween costume early. We have some ideas for easy costumes created from your office supply closet.And, if you’re reading this at 11 a.m. on October 31, don’t stress. All of these costumes can be made in just enough time for the office party

The Piñata

​1. Materials You’ll Need 1 cardboard box 1–2 pads of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Rio de Janeiro Color Collection Scotch® Brand Scissors2. How to do it Cut three holes in the cardboard box–two holes on the side for your arms and one on the top for your head. Next, select three to five colors you’d like for the piñata. Then take your scissors and make three to four vertical cuts to fray the Post-it® Notes. Place the notes from bottom to top on the box in horizontal rows. Plan to use one color for each row. Make sure you overlap the notes to create an authentic piñata look! Pro Tip: Cut several Post-it® Notes at a time to save some scissor snipping energy.3. Put on your colorful costume. It’s time to party, people!

Brainstorm Board​

1. Materials You’ll Need:Post-it® Easel Pad Post-it® Notes A marker A 2 ft. long piece of string2. How to do It Place the string between the holes on either side of the Post-it® Easel Pad and tie the two ends of the string together. Then, use a marker to label the paper brainstorm. Place your “ideas” from the brainstorm on Post-it® Notes and stick them to the Easel Pad. Then, connect the ideas by drawing arrows with your marker.3. Put your costume on and go have some fun because you look great!

A Bird​

​1. Materials You’ll Need: 2 poster boards 1–2 pads of Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Bali Color Collection 2 small pieces string Scotch® Brand Scissors2. How to do It Use your scissors to cut out wings from the poster boards. Punch two holes at the base of each wing and use the string to tie them together. Once you have made your wings, use the Post-it® Notes to create the feathers. Start at the tip of the wing and overlap the Post-it® Notes all the way to the top, to create the feather effect. You can also use Post-it® Super Sticky Notes, Rio de Janerio Color Collection.3. You’re ready to go, have a great Halloween celebration!

We hope these ideas will make your Halloween great. They are simple, creative costumes that will have everyone talking at the office party (in a good way).

Thank you to our friends at Post-It for these great Halloween ideas! This blog post was first posted at ​http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/ideas/articles/three-costumes-you-can-create-from-your-supply-closet/

The benefits of feng shui are real. Click on the infographic to learn how to transform your work space from zzzzzzz (yawn) to zen. Or let's be honest, you are busy at work and don't have time to read the infographic. No worries, I'll summarize it for you:

How Color Can Affect Productivity in the Workplace: By Susan Ringer VP My Pretty Office a Division of TwistOP We all know there have been many studies done on workplace productivity. Sure, there are the usual factors such as efficient workflow, office morale and of course the 3 P’s (People, Process and Product) that will ensure business success, but what about your physical environment? How it is decorated and your color choices both have a major impact in how you feel about being there. In fact, it has been said through various workplace studies on productivity that one of the most important factors in an employee’s ability to focus is their physical space. The right workspace and décor has been shown to increase productivity by about 20%. And it’s not just about the space efficiency. It is about the colors, scents and accessories used to personalize that space! I had noticed this personally during my career in real estate. As a business coach during that time, I found I could help a client achieve increased sales results by simply getting organized and making their workspace “pretty” (yes, this can also apply to the men!). Making client lead calls in any industry is always more pleasant and effective when the environment supports the task. I even noticed certain colors seemed to create different effects. For instance, the high energy, do-a-million-things-at-once personalities who needed some focus were better served to tone down the colors in their work space and eliminate the warm red, yellow and orange tones. When these color schemes were traded for soft, elegant shades of blue and green, there was a calming effect and a feeling of more focus. On the contrary, the folks who needed that extra push, who were a bit on the relaxed side by nature were better served with a bit of color jolt with those warm reds and yellows to excite their mood and get the productivity going. Today, there are so many design trends that can serve these needs, that one doesn’t have to compromise style in favor of productivity. This would be especially important in a home office environment. Popular design colors that serve the cool, soft tones needed to reign in some focus are teal, grey, mint green and powder blue (the latter two will be huge, I predict, as it is seen everywhere in fashion right now). To decorate your office in this scheme, use accessories that compliment this look, yet add to the functionality of your space. If you can’t paint your walls, use some of these soft colors in your artwork, your frames, file folders, organizers and stationery (of course, if you CAN paint your walls, by all means, do!). You will be amazed at how that will pull down those anxious feelings and get you to a “zen” place where you can focus. Remember to add a plant and a wonderful scent, even some soft music. Lavender or eucalyptus mint are excellent choices – calming without putting you to sleep! My Pretty Office has some great products to help with this too. Our Design Ideas line in Mint, White and Grey coupled with some Kate spade acrylic will be great for these calming effects. For those who need a warm jolt of red, orange or yellow tones to “get in gear”, try these colors: brick red (a little less jarring), wine, pink, melon and warm buttery yellow tones. These tones are really on trend and will work with much of the décor that is popular now. They also mix well with neutrals such as grey and certain shades of beige/taupe. The vibrancy of these colors creates a stimulating effect on the brain and might just make that super heavy phone feel a little lighter to make your next prospecting call (we all have stared at the 100 pound phone, let’s be honest!). A great scent to continue this theme would be anything citrus. We love the Tommy Bahama blends that incorporate a little bit of island scent. In the winter months, switch to something with a pine scent. Remember to add a touch of jazzy (but soft in volume) music. Some products in the My Pretty Office line that would work very well with this idea are the Design Idea products in Mango. If you want the warm tones without all that zing, the Punch Studio French Style accessories accomplish just that. For some feminine energy in these color schemes, try the Anna Griffin florals or a Susan Ringer Fine Art print (yes, that is me. As you can see, I am also an artist and study/use color theory every day). This stuff is real, folks! See some of our examples in the gallery below.If you want to learn more, here is a great article on the psychological effects of color based on research performed in the UK. There are also some fun color personality quizzes and other tools on this site you might enjoy as well:http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours

One of my biggest money saving tips when it comes to food is to bring your own lunch to work. That $5 you’re spending on a sandwich equals $25 a week, and $1,300 per year. This may not seem like a big deal, but considering that a homemade lunch only costs $2-3, you could be spending half of what you currently are, saving yourself $650 a year on workday lunches alone.

Most people probably realize that brown bagging lunch is the cheapest option, but the hard part is actually creating the habit of packing it. Here are my best tips for getting yourself to bring lunch to work a reality.

Prep for the week. On Sundays I like to roast a large batch of veggies to have available for the week. That way I always have something to grab from the fridge, even in a time crunch.

Make extras. Making tacos for dinner? Cook up an extra serving or two of protein and chop some extra vegetables to bring along for lunch.

Pack the night before. As soon as dinner is over, portion those leftovers out into lunch-sized portions. It may only take 5 minutes to pack a lunch, but even that can seem like too long when you’re running late in the morning. By getting your food ready the night before, you’ll have no excuses for not taking your lunch to work!

Stock plenty of storage containers. If you don’t have anything to put your food in, you probably aren’t going to pack it. Stock plenty of containers (too many is better than not enough!), including a variety of sizes.

Invest in a nice lunch bag. I don’t know about you, but having a cute lunch bag makes me happy. For $10, it’s well worth the investment of finding a bag that’ll make you excited to pack your lunch.

Keep emergency foods on hand. Sometimes you won’t have time to make dinner, leaving you with no leftovers for lunch. That’s when you need to have emergency foods on hand. Chicken sausages, baby carrots, and apples are my go-to options for when this situation arises.

Roasted sweet potatoes and carrots, prepped on Sunday, with a chicken sausage and an apple.

Overnight Oats made with chia seeds, a little maple syrup, and topped with strawberries. Pair with a hard-boiled egg for some extra protein!Not only does packing your lunches for work save you money, it typically means a healthier meal. Win-win!

Not only does packing your lunches for work save you money, it typically means a healthier meal. Win-win!

BreAnna is the creator of ​Crafty Coin, a blog that focuses on how to eat real, unprocessed food on a budget. Each week she shares her $70 grocery hauls for two adults, plus​ simple recipes, budget tips, and more. Everyone always says, “Eating healthy is expensive". Her mission is to prove this statement false!

Do you dread it? The obligatory card sneakily passed around in a file folder for the team to sign. The small team gathering in the kitchen with a last minute cake from the bakery down the street, everyone stealing glances at their watches. And the most awkward thing--what gift, if anything, do you give to a coworker you're not close to or don't even really like?

Everyone has had some type of similar awkward birthday experience, so here's a fun twist on how to jazz up office birthday parties: birthday breakfast.

Once a month, have your team (or party planning committee) pool their resources and set a designated day for birthday breakfast. Everyone contributes something-donuts, coffee, homemade breakfast casserole or the cutlery. That way, your coworkers are not bogged down by multitudinous birthdays and the stressors that ensue. This monthly event is anticipated, welcomed and helps your coworkers feel truly celebrated. Happy Birthday Breakfast!